Evaluation of Sublingual Varices Prevalence and Its Respective Factors in Two Iranian Nursing Homes in 2019

Sublingual varices (SLVs) are among the most prevalent oral lesions, which develop with aging. We aimed to find the prevalence of SLVs among seniors in two nursing homes and evaluate the possible linked factors.
This descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out at Kahrizak Alborz and razy allah razi Al-Waledain nursing homes in 2019. The list of all seniors over 60 years old was prepared then; after explaining the aim of the study and obtaining their consent, a well-trained senior dentistry student examined them for the presence of SLVs. At the same time, factors, including age, gender, smoking, oral prosthesis, leg varices, high blood pressure, and literacy level, were recorded. The role of each feature was analyzed by Chi-square test using SPSS (version 22; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
The study performed on 478 nursing home residents showed an SLVs' prevalence of 56.7% (95% confidence interval (CI): 52.3- 60). SLVs were significantly correlated with gender (P<0.001), age P<0.01), smoking status (P<0.001), complete denture usage (P<0.01), and leg varicosity status (P<0.0001).
It appears that SLVs are highly prevalent in senior adults. Therefore, clinicians should be aware of the possible presence of SLVs and avoid unnecessary interventions.